Wuppermann production CO2-neutral by 2025

Leverkusen, 06/12/2021 | The production process for strip galvanizing, the main business area of the Wuppermann Group, will be 100 percent CO2 neutral at all sites by 2025. For this ambitious goal, the Leverkusen-based company is successively switching its electricity mix to purchase from renewable energies. Johannes Nonn, spokesman for the company's management board, believes that industry has a duty to seriously address the issue of climate protection: "As an energy-intensive company and a major European steel processor, the issue of sustainability is of great strategic importance to the Wuppermann Group. That is why we want to be a pioneer in CO2 neutrality."

Electricity-based strip galvanizing already saves more than 30 per cent CO2
By far the largest share of the company's energy requirements is generated in strip galvanizing. Wuppermann produces about one million tonnes of strip galvanized steel a year using the so-called "heat-to-coat" process. In 2020, the Fraunhofer Institute proved that this process saves more than 30 per cent CO2 compared to conventional galvanizing processes based on fossil fuels. "This is a competitive advantage towards sustainability that we are proud of," says Johannes Nonn.

Conversion to green electricity at all sites
The first measures have already been implemented. For example, since the beginning of 2021, the company has been sourcing green electricity exclusively from hydropower at its production sites in Austria. The Dutch site in Moerdijk will switch completely to electricity from wind power from 1 January 2022. The electricity supply contracts at the production sites in Hungary and Poland will also be successively converted to CO2-free or green electricity. This will significantly increase the CO2 advantage over European competitors.

Own generation and energy efficiency
At the same time, the company is investing in its own power generation. At three sites, Wuppermann has installed photovoltaic systems with a total output of three megawatts in 2021 alone. This corresponds to the electricity consumption of more than 1,700 households. In addition, Wuppermann is aiming for a recycling rate of 100 per cent. A package of energy efficiency measures has been developed as part of a CIP process. The energy requirement in relation to the production volume is to be continuously reduced in this way.

Interview with Johannes Nonn, Spokesman of the Wuppermann Management Board
In a detailed video interview, Johannes Nonn, Spokesman of the Board of Management, explains the company's motivation, the specific measures and timetable, the benefits for customers and his personal motivations.

You can find more information at
https://co2neutral.wuppermann.com/en/

You can watch the full video of the interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X__4zNOjytI

You can find the print version for download
https://co2neutral.wuppermann.com/site/assets/files/1/en_print_interview_wuppermann_co2-neutral_by_2025.pdf